1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a therapeutic bandage with removable hot or cold packs and, more particularly, to a therapeutic bandage for protecting and holding firmly in place the flesh of a body part and for keeping the body part hot or cold.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Following a variety of different types of surgery on various parts of the body, it is necessary to protect and hold the flesh of the body part firmly in place and to keep the tissues cold. By way of example, these are necessities following cosmetic surgery on the face where it is necessary to hold the facial tissues to prevent sagging and to keep the facial tissues cold to minimize swelling.
Existing therapeutic bandages have a variety of shortcomings. Typically, they are designed for non-surgical purposes, such as to support tissues against sagging during sleep. Typically, they are designed to be only "chin" straps or for other specific parts of the body which does not permit them to support the areas required for surgery such as outside of the eyes, behind the ears, the corners of the mouth, the neck, chin, forehead, etc. In other words, such bandages are not therapeutic.
Most therapeutic masks that are presently available are made of heavy material which holds heat in on the areas covered. The masks also exert excessive pressure on the facial tissues. Typically, they do not make provision for holding a cold pack in place. The same general shortcomings apply to elastic bandages used on other parts of the body for therapeutic purposes.
For a variety of different purposes, devices have been designed for holding a hot or cold pack against a particular body part. Furthermore, bandages have been designed having the capability of attachment of hot or cold packs thereto. However, in all known cases, the hot or cold pack is held directly on the body part through openings in the bandages or by hanging from the bandage. As a result, the area that has the cold pack applied thereto is not held firmly in place and, even if it were, the pressure is removed each time it is necessary to replace the hot or cold pack. This is especially undesirable after facial surgery where the pressure should be retained and the skin should not be contacted during the healing process.